WASHINGTON, April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) a senior Member on the House Appropriations Committee and a Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water and Related Agencies, and Co-Chair of the House Science and National Labs Caucus, welcomed Daniel Poneman, the Acting Secretary of Energy and directors of the Energy Innovation Hubs to Capitol Hill for "Hub Day."

Hub Day brings together researchers from government, industry, and academia to work on complex energy related challenges. Modeled after the Manhattan Project, MIT's Lincoln Lab, and AT&T Bell Laboratories, the goal of the Hubs is to speed research and shorten the path from scientific discovery to commercial deployment of energy related technologies.

"As we look towards advancements in energy science, it is imperative to continue the nation's investment in outstanding research being conducted across the country," said Fattah.

Directors from five hubs joined in the discussion on transformative breakthroughs in energy:

Fuels from Sunlight Hub - Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, led by the California Institute of Technology and headquartered in Berkeley and Pasadena, California

Modeling and Simulation for Nuclear Reactors Hub - Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors, led by and headquartered at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Energy Efficient Buildings Hub - Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster, led by Pennsylvania State University and headquartered at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia

In a capacity filled room, the Hub directors spoke of the need for more energy efficient building designs and super computers or "virtual reactors" geared to improve the safety and performance of current and future nuclear reactors.